Requesting minimal help with a project

This is a discussion on Requesting minimal help with a project within the Off Topic & Humor Discussion forums, part of the The Back Porch category; I started a Facebook protest page against my County's despicable and unique tactic of cruising retail parking lots with a license plate scanner, looking for ...

Requesting minimal help with a project

I started a Facebook protest page against my County's despicable and unique tactic of cruising retail parking lots with a license plate scanner, looking for tax evaders. Their cars are seized and held until the tax is paid + a $350 fee to the recovery agency (the agency also gets 20% of the taxes paid!).

Please see the site HERE and click on the LIKE button to show your support.

Thanks!

BTW I thought I already posted this but it didn't show up so if it does, sorry!

When I lived in CT, I had a neighbor with three high-dollar, collectible cars. This dirtbag was a trust-fund baby who never worked a day in his life, and he registered his hobby cars in Florida and Vermont to avoid a few thousand bucks a year in local property tax. I never dropped a dime on the guy, but I was sorely tempted.

I have no sympathy for people who don't pay taxes they legitimately owe. Frankly, I think this post is off base and out of line for the DC forum. Feel free to convince me to change my opinion.

I guess my problem is with the method used....if they already know where the person lives (i.e car registration), why don't they put a lien on the property? Or arrest them for tax evasion...instead of this passive aggressive [stuff]?

I'm sure in Isle of Wight (central VA)--there aren't multi-million dollar tax evaders....but people who have gotten behind on their taxes.

Taking it a step further--suppose it is the ONE car the family has....to get to/from work (to pay the taxes), school, etc...Now the family is stuck without a means of taking care of the business they need to (to include resolving the tax problem)...and the problem has gotten worse. Does the state want their money? Or punish? If punishment is the remedy, what about due process?

tax owers

I have no sympathy for any Tax Owers and anybody who wanted for whatever reasons who complain about the methods the law uses to find them. Yes, it would be a bad secene if it was an only car being used to drive to work, however, if you owe raxes, a payment plan could be arranged.

I am anti-"find a new and unique way to be a jerk about collecting taxes."

Watch the video (I think that's the right one in the news article) and the owner of the private collection company is quite giddy about his new contract. I would be too if I was getting $350 for every car I towed PLUS 20% commission on the taxes collected.

Bottom line, as has been said, the County knows where these people live, and they have the option of seizing their income tax return.

So why take the car and impose a significant monetary penalty on people who don't have a lot of money?

I call it dirty and I will fight it. I have written letters to all 4 local newspapers. I plan on attending the next Board of Supervisors meeting.

They are any taxes owed to the county, real estate or personal property. Usually they take the taxes from your tax return. I guess people who don't get enough back on their return are targeted for special treatment.

Why do it? Well, it works to get things paid.
I can remember many years ago where three young students broke into a school and did some damage. I met with the parents and discussed the issue...all agreed to pay a third of the damage to avoid additional problems.
Two paid, but the third never got around to it. He was taken to small claims court, and agreed (again) to a payment plan...never got around to paying anything (again).
A year and a half later, with the help of the court and local sheriff, two police cars and a tow truck showed up at this parent's house (he was a local dirtbag) and put his pickup on a hoist...the DBP (dirtbag parent) ran around to friends and within 20 minutes, coughed up the $750+ bill up. As an added bonus, the parent was so angry at me, that he packed up his family and moved out of the district. (pics of me and many other happy parents and teachers waving...)